ferret and new pup

Question
hi i have a 2 year old female ferret and a 1 year old  male ferret they are brilliant natured and have both been done and have never been aggressive before. we just got a German shepherd pup and the female never even sniffed at her she just latched on to the pups face she even drew blood. i am worried as she has never attacked anyone before. we have an other dog but the ferrets don't bother her. the ferrets are house ferrets and don't use their cage. we tried to introduce them again but she just done the same thing and now the male is copying her. it has got that bad we have to keep them in separate rooms. I'm not just worried for the pup but also the ferrets as the pup weighs 7kgs now and fear the pup could crush them. please please help me as i don't want to get rid of any of them. thanks

Answer
Hi Nicole:

I think your kids are trying to establish with the new pup that they are the bosses of the house, so don't mess with them.  ?What they don't know is that the pup is goin to grow up  - a LOT!!

Unfortunately, it's a really really bad idea to have a young pup around ferrets - ever.  Because they are energetic and bounce around, running and playing with all good intentions, BUT they often come down on little delicate ferret backs and cause paralysis due to spinal  injuries. Because the pup has no sense of danger to the ferrets, they think they are playing, you really can't discipline them for it. The ONLY thing you can do is keep the pup separated physically from the ferrets until the dog is old enough that it settles down (3 to 4 years anyway) where they are not so playful.

Had you asked me BEFORE getting the pup, I would have advised seriously NOT to get a pup while having ferrets who run loose in the house. For their own protection, now you MUST with rehome the dog, the ferrets, OR keep them separated so the ferrets aren't unintentionally injured. There are many many ferrets with spinal injuries (some completely paralyzed) whose owners had all the best intentions, but it just doesn't work well, even if you watch them every second.

Sorry, wish I had better news or a better option for you.  I hope you will choose wisely for the health of your ferrets. Can your dog be an outside pet? That's the only thing I can think of that would allow you to keep both dog and ferrets..  Best of luck and god bless.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers